No Honey Badger, no problem

LSU's title hopes not diminished; Mel Kiper's draft assessment of Mathieu

Updated: August 11, 2012, 8:30 AM ET

By KC Joyner | ESPN Insider

The reaction to the LSU Tigers' dismissal Friday of Tyrann Mathieu, aka the Honey Badger, has been varied, but a SportsNation poll indicates a significant percentage of people believe this loss will cost LSU a shot at a national championship.

It is understandable why many people would feel that way, as Mathieu's playmaking ability led to key touchdowns in the Tigers' regular-season wins over the Oregon Ducks and Arkansas Razorbacks as well as an SEC title game victory over the Georgia Bulldogs.

As valuable as those skills are, however, a closer look shows that LSU should be able to absorb this loss with minimal impact on its national championship hopes.

To read KC Joyner's full take on why LSU will be fine following Tyrann Mathieu's dismissal, plus to get Mel Kiper's take on Mathieu's NFL potential, you must be an ESPN Insider.